


The Advent-ures Of Arashi

by Draco_Rattus



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-03 12:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 11,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8713282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Rattus/pseuds/Draco_Rattus
Summary: A series of daily drabbles of varying lengths - mostly fluffy, mostly silly - one for each day of December counting down to Christmas Day, featuring the different members of Arashi and an assortment of some of their drama characters in vaguely seasonal situations.





	1. Sakurai Sho - Nazotoki Wa Dinner No Ato De

This year, as always, everything for her will be _just_ right. The Earl Grey has been heated to exactly the right temperature, the icing on the dainty little cakes glistens like a plate of jewels, and his uniform has been washed and pressed to perfection. Even so, Kageyama gives himself one more check in the mirror just to make sure that he appears presentable, and – satisfied that he could serve the Queen of England herself with his current appearance – he picks up the tray of afternoon tea and carefully carries it along the corridor to the small room which functions as his study. Once inside, he sweeps across the floor to place the tray upon his desk, then bows graciously towards the female figure standing to one side.

“You know this is something I look forward to every year,” he states politely, drawing a napkin with a flourish as he straightens up again. “It's very rare I get to spend some quiet time alone with just you.”

His greeting delivered, he takes his seat at the desk, picks up the teapot, and pours himself a cup before sitting back and smiling at the woman beside him, although she does not smile back. In fact, she can't – she is made of cardboard, a life-size cut-out of one of his idols, the diminuitive TV heroine Queen Q. She says nothing, but she does not need to; she is already as close to perfection as one can get, a tiny champion of justice with beautiful looks and a fighting style which would put many professional wrestlers to shame. He raises his teacup to her in a toast, as gentlemanly as if she were there with him in person.

“Merry Christmas, Milady.”


	2. Matsumoto Jun - 99.9%

Everyone gathers around expectantly as Miyama Hiroto prepares to serve his latest creation, a sort of cake which is apparently served widely in Britain around Christmas time; it's a pastry base filled with dried fruits and nuts, topped off with another layer of pastry and dusted with sugar. It's certainly not the kind of thing he would normally make, but from the amount of candy he appears to eat it seems only natural that he'd turn his hand to creating more sweet dishes eventually. Still, seeing him in action is like watching a master at work - his face is a mask of concentration, his focus entirely on the food in front of him, and he barely even seems to notice his friends staring at him while he places the little desserts onto a clean plate.

“Are they ready yet?” Tachibana Ayano, his female co-worker with a fondness for wrestling, eyes the dish hungrily and watches as Miyama carefully sprinkles icing sugar over the top of the small pies; he finishes the whole thing off with a small sprig of holly before taking a step back, eyeing them critically, then breaking into a smile. 

_“Now_ they are.” Miyama places the plate in front of his friends, folding his arms across his chest triumphantly and standing back to observe their reactions.

“I suppose it would be rude not to try one.” Sada Atsuhiro, his boss, is the first to pick one up and bite into it, smiling as he tastes the sugar, but then his expression changes into one of disgust as the flavour abruptly changes. “Ugh! What's this? It's _terrible!_ It tastes like... it tastes like _toothpaste!_ What _is_ it?”

“Aha!” Miyama leans in towards him, almost conspiratorially, his smile becoming even wider. “The real flavour is hidden! That's because it's... a _mint spy.”_

"A mince... pie..."

Nobody laughs.


	3. Ohno Satoshi - Shinigami-kun

“I don't understand why humans get so excited about this time of year.” Shinigami #413 sits on top of a shopping mall, his legs dangling over the edge, watching the hundreds – no, thousands – of humans milling around below, the streets bedecked with glittering lights and pieces of dying foliage. “It's dark, it's cold, and they spend money they can't afford on people they don't even like.”

“You don't _need_ to _understand_ it!” Supervisor #45 snaps as she clips him sharply around the head with the back of her hand, her feathers ruffling in the cold breeze. “We're not sent here to understand, you idiot!”

“I know that!” #413 winces and clutches at his hat. “But I think it would still help if we at least knew _why_ they're doing what they're doing.”

“It's about hope.” His supervisor looks away, her eyes drawn to the bustling city below. It's unusual for her to offer any opinion about the doings of mortals, and so #413 listens with interest. “It's _because_ it's so cold and dark that they have to find a reason to get excited. It gets them through the winter, having something to look forward to. Spending time with people they care about. Eating special foods which they like. Exchanging presents...”

“Presents?” #413 asks. “Why do presents make them feel any better? It's still cold. That's something else I don't quite understand...”

“Then I won't bother giving you yours,” Supervisor #45 hisses and she blushes slightly, and it's only then that #413 notices she was starting to hold out a small box towards him. “Since it clearly won't hold any meaning for you anyway.”

“That's not what I...”

“Oh, just _take_ it.” With an irritable snort and a pout she shoves the box into #413's hands before sitting back and folding her arms defensively across her chest. “I don't want it any more anyway.”

“A present...?” 

#413 looks down at the box in his hand, bemused. His supervisor has given him a present? He stares at it for a moment, unsure what to do, then decides to open it since she'll only be angry at him if he doesn't. Well, knowing her, she'll probably be angry at him anyway. He slowly opens the small box, untying the ribbon wrapped around it, lifts the lid, and... smiles. Inside there is a small tie pin in the shape of a crow, his supervisor's other form, with tiny eyes made of glistening black gems.

“If you wear that all the time, maybe you'll think of me more often and stop making such stupid decisions,” she mutters, although her voice has softened somewhat. And... are her cheeks flushing...?

“I think I understand more now.” Shinigami #413 continues to smile as he attaches the pin to his tie, feeling a strange warmth within his chest. Is this what humans feel when they give each other gifts? Is this warmth inside something which helps them deal with the cold? It's certainly helping him right now. “Thank you.”


	4. Aiba Masaki - Arashi

For Aiba Masaki, one of the best things about Christmas is being able to spend time doing things he wouldn't normally be able to do, and this year is no different. His love of animals is no secret, especially his love of dogs, and it's with great pleasure that he has volunteered to look after one of his friend's at his house for a couple of days, a well-behaved poodle called Tororu; he's even been allowed to choose some toys and treats for it, something he wishes he could do if he had the time to have a dog of his own. There are already chew toys and dog treats hidden away for his new furry friend, and he's even bought a special chocolate cake which is safe for dogs to eat, safely stashed away in the fridge for Christmas Day.

He won't be spending all of his time with just the dog, though – with Arashi's busy schedule, there are always things which need to be discussed, plans to be made, timetables which need to be drawn up and dates set out for TV appearances and performances. That's why the rest of the group are also here today on the run-up to Christmas, and for the most part they seem to be happy to spend time with the dog as well. When he walks in from the kitchen with a tray of hot drinks for everyone, Matsumoto Jun is teasing the poodle with a squeaky donut as Ninomiya Kazunari tries to gain its attention with a toy bone, and Ohno Satoshi is watching Nino with an expression of amusement which also borders on outright affection. Sakurai Sho, perhaps less interested in animals than some of the others, rolls his eyes at Jun and heads back into the kitchen in search of some biscuits to go with his tea.

“He's gorgeous!” Jun grins, laughing as Tororu wrestles with his toy. “It's a shame you cant have one of your own, huh?”

“Yeah, it really is.” Aiba sighs as he sits down and takes his cup, watching the dog with utter adoration. “You know how it is, though... we're too busy to be able to keep pets properly. We're always travelling around, always busy filming one thing or another; it wouldn't be fair on the dog if it had to stay here all day on its own, or if I had to pay somebody else to look after it all the time. This is probably the next best thing.”

“I suppose so," Jun smiles sympathetically at his band-mate. 

"At least I get to look after him for Christmas." The poodle, having sucessfully 'killed' the donut, wanders over to Aiba and sits at his feet, staring up at him, tail wagging expectantly. He reaches down and scratches behind its ears, causing its tail-wagging to intensify. “Who's a good boy, then?”

"You always did have a way with animals," Nino sighs, finally admitting defeat on trying to get Tororu's attention. "I guess that's why you get along with me, right?"

“Ugh! What on earth is _this?”_ The moment is broken by Sho reappearing in the room, a look of utter disgust on his face. “I know you like to try different kinds of foods, but this chocolate cake is horrible!”

“Sho...” Aiba's face falls, and he sighs deeply. “That was for the dog...”


	5. Ninomiya Kazunari - Ryusei No Kizuna

“Don't tell me – it's going to be hashed beef rice again.” The three Ariake siblings are gathered together in the cramped room above the restaurant where Koichi works, discussing how they'll be spending Christmas this year, and Shizuna sighs as her brother Koichi announces his plans for the holiday meal. “Can't we just eat fried chicken like a _normal_ family?”

“Well, I don't _have_ to do the cooking.” Koichi casts a disparaging look towards his sister. “Besides, since when have we _ever_ been a normal family?”

“Don't bring that up _now.”_ Shizuna reprimands Koichi with a glare.

“I wasn't talking about our parents.” Her brother's voice softens, and a playful smile finds its way onto his face. “I was thinking more about how you two are both in your twenties, and living together like you're dating... not to mention the way Taisuke seems to think working in an adult bookstore is a perfectly respectable way to make a living.”

“Hey!” Taisuke looks up from where he's been slouching. “It's a perfectly good job!”

“It's a perfectly _sleazy_ job.” Koichi fixes Taisuke with a look. “Anyway, we can't really afford to go out for fried chicken, so we're eating at home again this year and---”

“Who says we can't afford to go out to eat?” Shizuna folds her arms defiantly across her chest. “Maybe _you_ can't, Taisuke... and Koichi, you're far too tight when it comes to buying food. But I've still got my savings....”

“You still have some left after you signed up for that stupid course?”

“Yes, I do!” The sister huffs defensively. “Not like you, Taisuke, who spends your money as soon as you earn it on drink and women!”

“It's a good investment!”

“An investment in _what?_ Random girls calling your phone and a sore head in the morning?”

“Can we all stop arguing?” Koichi rubs tiredly at his forehead. “Let's just calm down and agree on what we're going to do with the day.”

The mood seems to darken slightly, as if Koichi's decision to bring them back to more practical matters has sobered them all somewhat – which, to be honest, is pretty much the case. It's traditional for them all to visit their parents' grave at some point during the day; separately of course, since Koichi isn't supposed to be in contact with Shizuna and Taisuke, but it's a ritual they have observed every year since their loss, and this year will be no different. After that, though – the Ariake siblings' Christmas meal – that's the part they're having trouble agreeing on.

Then again, that's very much a Christmas tradition all of its own.


	6. Sakurai Sho - Yamada Taro Monogatari

Mimura Takuya can't help but worry as he puts the finishing touches to his latest flower arrangement, a bright combination of chrysanthemum and honeysuckle. Sure, he's done plenty of them before, but this one's... _special._ After all, it's for somebody who means a lot to him, somebody who has touched his life in ways he never previously thought possible; his classmate and friend, Yamada Taro, the boy who seems to draw the attention of everyone he meets, whether he means to or not. And he's certainly drawn Takuya's attention – that's why he is preparing these flowers as a gift, and they're no ordinary gift, either. It's Christmas Eve, the day when lovers traditionally exchange presents with each other. He can only hope that the significance of that is not lost on Yamada Taro either.

Despite his boldness in preparing such a gift, he still finds himself somewhat reluctant to deliver them in person; what if Taro's mother answers the door, reads the truth of the situation, realising his affection, and is horrified by it? What if Taro is too embarrassed to accept them? Does Taro even have need of flowers? From what he's seen of the boy and his family perhaps a more practical gift would be welcome, something he can share with them all; a shopping voucher maybe, or some clothes for his siblings. And then Takuya reasons that Taro's family are just as deserving of flowers as anyone else, that beauty is something _everyone_ can appreciate, although the care and attention which has gone into this arrangement is intended for Taro himself. No, Takuya still doesn't want to risk seeing disgust or disappointment when his flowers arrive at the Yamada household. It's easier to arrange for them to be discreetly delivered by private courier before he meets with Taro that evening. After all, it's not as though he can't afford it.

It's not until several hours later that Takuya arrives at Taro's home/ There's no way of knowing yet whether his gift has arrived safely, and he hopes for the best as he pulls the chain which serves as a doorbell and politely waits for it to be answered. After a few nervous moments it's Taro's mother who greets him, and she shows no sign of surprise or disapproval as she welcomes Takuya inside.

“Eh...?” Taro is inside with his brothers and sisters, and turns to look at his classmate as he enters, breaking into a wide smile. “Mimura-kun!”

“Yamada.” Takuya can't help but smile back, and he relaxes as he realises there is no awkwardness between him and the other boy. He had been concerned that a display of affection such as an arrangement of flowers might cause some tension, but... no. Taro seems as carefree as ever. “Did you get my gift...?”

“Oh! Yes! It was delicious, thank you!”

“Delicious...?” Takuya's brow furrows in confusion. “What do you mean... _delicious?”_

“Well, chrysanthemums and honeysuckle are hard to come by this time of year, aren't they? It was really thoughtful of you to send some over so we could have them as a treat. They went really well with the rice we had for lunch.”


	7. Ohno Satoshi - Arashi

“I know we said we weren't really going to do presents this year, but... I got you something anyway. I saw it and I thought of you.” Ninomiya Kazunari holds out a small box towards his partner, Ohno Satoshi; it's haphazardly covered in gift wrap and tied with a bow, although there's probably more sticky tape than actual paper and the bow looks like somebody tried to tie a shoelace with a piece of ribbon. Noticing Ohno's dubious appraisal of the box, Nino just shrugs. “The place I got it from didn't offer a gift-wrapping service, so I did it myself.”

“I can tell,” Ohno comments drily, although his sarcastic response masks the genuine delight he feels at the fact that Nino would do something so thoughtful for him.

“Well then... are you going to open it?” Nino asks impatiently.

“I suppose I can try.” Ohno starts to pick at a piece of tape, then pulls a face. “No good – I'm going to need some scissors. It looks like a child wrapped it.”

“So ungrateful!” Nino grumbles as he goes to retrieve a pair, but Ohno is smiling at him when he returns, something which always seems to take the edge off his tendency to be brattish. “Here you go.”

Now armed with the scissors, Ohno sets about removing the paper and sticky tape, making careful incisions with the blades as if gutting a fish – which is surprisingly appropriate. Satisfied that he has loosened as much of it as he can without damaging the gift inside, he peels it back to reveal a small box inside, one with a flip-top lid. He frowns, curious as to what it could be, and takes a moment to consider what it---

 _“Open_ it!”

“Who is this present for, me or you?”

“You.” 

Nino pouts, but settles back to watch Ohno as he reaches out and picks up the box, tapping it with one finger before slowly opening it to reveal a small band of metal. His eyes widen as the light catches what's inside, and he glances across at Nino who is blushing slightly but trying not to show it.

“You... you _shouldn't_ have... you...”

Then Ohno's gaze switches back down to the box, to the object inside it; it's incredible, the most personal and thoughtful of gifts, sized exactly for his hand and guaranteed to provide years of future happiness. A Daiichi fish hook, one of the finest brands on the market, a curve of tempered steel which is not only practical but also manages to be a thing of beauty at the same time. As far as presents go, it's perfect.


	8. Sakurai Sho - Tokujo Kabachi!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I must apologise for this one - I like the character of Tamura Katsuhiro, but... I haven't actually finished watching Tokujo Kabachi! yet, oops! ^^; So I'm sorry if there are any glaring mistakes in their characters, but I can always go back later and edit any major discrepancies. Thanks for reading!))

If there's one thing Tamura Katsuhiro dislikes more than dirty tactics from rival law firms, it's office parties. That's why he's attempting to sneak off home today, to try and make a quiet exit before his boss can forcefully persuade him to stay behind and share a few drinks with his colleagues; he'd rather be in his cramped apartment studying for the national solicitor exam than having to dodge drunken punches from the office gorilla Saekada, and he'd _definitely_ rather have his head buried in a textbook than have to deal with their newest employee, Sumiyoshi Misuzu. She has caused him nothing but complications since he suffered the misfortune of meeting her. Warmly dressed in his signature coat and scarf, Tamura takes great care in moving softly towards the door and opening it as slowly as he can, stepping through it and-

“Going somewhere?” Sumiyoshi Misuzu, the woman who has been making his life a living Hell, stands in the corridor smiling sweetly at him. “I thought we were supposed to be having an office party today?”

“Oh! Er... that was _today?”_ Tamura tries – and fails – to fake surprise. “I didn't realise. Never mind, too late now. I've already got other plans, so I'll be on my way---”

“No you won't.” Without even skipping a beat Sumiyoshi lightly pokes Tamura back through the door, where he turns to see the disapproving faces of his three male colleagues staring back at him. 

“Going somewhere, Tamura?” Saekada, in one of his trademark brightly-coloured suits, narrows his eyes. “Is this how I taught you to behave when there's a social gathering going on, huh? Did I train you to run off home?”

“N-no, Saekada...” Despite his intentions for the evening, the appearance of his bulky co-worker quickly banishes all thoughts of escape from Tamura's mind. 

“Good!” Saekada growls, although the expected head-butt from him never arrives. “Because that wouldn't be in keeping with the Christmas spirit now, would it?”

“Talking of Christmas spirit...” Sumiyoshi places her bag upon one of the desks and pulls out a bottle of whiskey, an aged Suntory Hibiki, which causes even Daisensei Ohno to raise an eyebrow. “Who wants a glass?”

Within minutes, the three older men – Daisensei, Saekada and Shigemori – are eagerly sipping the whiskey, commenting on its smooth flavour as Tamura and Sumiyoshi stand to one side, holding their own glasses. Tamura just feels awkward; Sumiyoshi, however, seems to be enjoying herself just watching them.

“You're not drinking?” She turns to Tamura, noting that he's barely even touched a drop yet.

“I _can_ drink,” he replies defensively.

“But you're not.” She laughs softly.

"Do you _want_ me to?"

"Perhaps." Her gaze drops to the drink in her own hand, and she smiles enigmatically. "It makes people... _forget_ things."

"Like what?" Tamura is scowling again, wishing that he could forget the fact that she's even here. That he could just leave and not have to put up with her for at least a few hours, work hard on his studies, and get away from her for good.

"Like this." Without warning she leans in and quickly kisses him on the cheek, causing his mood to go from irritated to shocked in a mere two seconds flat. Nobody else seems to have noticed. "So maybe you _should_ start drinking now..."

Tamura is utterly bemused. Did that actually happen? Does Sumiyoshi _like_ him? Or is this just another example of his curse with women showing itself in a new and unexpected form? Either way, he's really not sure quite _how_ he feels about it... like whether he even _wants_ to remember, or whether he wants to forget the kiss altogether. He didn't think it possible, but she has managed to make his life even _more_ difficult.

He drinks.


	9. Matsumoto Jun - Kimi Wa Petto

_What kind of a Christmas present_ does _a pet get for its owner when that pet can't even afford to pay rent?_

Momo ponders this as he awaits the return of his mistress, Iwaya Sumire; he's lounging on the sofa, his long legs dangling over the side, his gaze continually drawn towards the door where he hopes to hear the sound of her key turning in the lock. He doesn't _have_ to get her anything, he supposes - he is a dog, after all, and if Sumire wanted somebody to buy her gifts then she should have chosen a boyfriend, not a pet. But he wants to show his gratitude towards her for taking him in and giving him a home, and even dogs bring gifts to their owners sometimes, don't they?

_I'm not asking my parents for money. That's far more trouble than it's worth. Hmm... perhaps I could make her something? No, I'm good at dancing, but that's about it. And where would I get the materials to make something with, anyway? That costs money, too..._

At that moment he hears the door rattling, and he sits bolt upright. _Sumire!_ She must have finished early and come straight home! He readies himself to leap off the sofa and race towards the door to greet his owner, to welcome her home and attach himself to her leg, smother her in affection and-

_Mens' voices. That's not Sumire. Has she brought a man home?_

Without even thinking he gives a loud growl, his lip curling in a snarl, and his whole body tenses at the thought of his owner bringing other males into the house without telling him first. There may not have been anything formal agreed between him and his Sumire-chan, but Momo's actions alone have proven that he believes himself to be the Alpha male here, and he won't take kindly to having strangers forced upon him in his own territory. His growling grows louder as he slips off the sofa and onto all fours, already stalking his way towards the door to greet whoever would dare to stake a claim on his mistress.

"Did you hear that?" A man's voice, the one Momo heard which caused his hackles to rise. 

"What?" Another male. Definitely not Sumire. 

"That growl, just then. I thought they weren't supposed to keep pets in these buildings."

"Shit..."

Suddenly realising the situation, Momo growls more loudly than ever, doing his best to scrape his fingernails across the floor in imitation of a real dog's claws.

"It's not worth it. Let's go."

There's the sound of feet quickly retreating, and Momo risks poking his head around the corner to take a peek - but all he sees is the front door hanging slightly ajar, having been forced open by the would-be burglars. He breathes a sigh of relief, sitting back on his heels as the tension leaves him, and he smiles.

_I may not be able to buy Sumire anything new... but I'll do my best to protect what she already has._


	10. Sakurai Sho - Yatterman

“He's all done.” Takada Gan makes a final adjustment to the fur-trimmed hat, pats the large red shoulders of his companion, and then takes a step back to admire his handiwork. Both he and Ai had been disappointed when the man they'd hired to play the role of Father Christmas for the Takada Toy Store had had to cancel at the last minute, but Gan is a resourceful boy and he's wasted no time in putting together a replacement. “You look perfect! The kids are going to love you.”

“Gan-chan...” Ai sounds a little concerned. “Are you sure this is a good idea?"

“It'll be fine!” His enthusiasm is almost infectious, but he can at least understand why his girlfriend has her concerns. “I've disabled his primary thrusters, and I've re-programmed the system which creates the small mechas to make elves, so if he needs help we can just give him some Mechanade and he'll have an army of little workers to assist him. And besides, if the Donboro gang show up to cause trouble, we'll be _more_ than ready.”

"Hmm... I still think people are going to notice that it's just Yatterwoof in a hat and beard."


	11. Ohno Satoshi - Maou

It's there waiting for him on his desk when he gets into the office, a red envelope with his name printed on the front. _Serizawa Naoto._ It's clearly meant for him.

His first emotion when he sees it is fear. He's already learning what these envelopes mean; inside each one is a Tarot card, an invitation to death, the threat – no, the _promise_ – that the recipient will be hunted down and killed for some dark secret in their past, either real or imagined. And Naoto knows he has plenty of dark secrets which would cause somebody to want him dead.

He glances around him to see if anybody else has noticed. To see if anybody else has been targeted. But no, it's only him – the other desks are empty, no envelopes lying upon them, nothing but paperwork and the occasional hint of festive cheer in the shape of small ornaments and the odd greetings card here and there. It is going to be Christmas soon, after all.

Fine, then. If he's going to be the next target, he may as well see what his would-be killer has in store. He'll see what kind of meaning the Tarot card holds, take it to Sakita Shiori and see what information she can glean just from touching it, see if she can provide him with some kind of a warning.

_It'll take more than a card to defeat me._

With shaking hands he reaches down to pick up the envelope, already tearing at the flap to open it, his fingers closing around what lies inside-

“Ah, good morning. I see you got my card.” The lawyer, Naruse Ryo, suddenly greets him with a warm smile. He'd been so busy focusing on the red envelope that he hadn't even noticed the man approaching. “My Christmas card. I left one for all of the staff. I hope you don't it too informal a gesture, but I thought I'd at least try and spread some seasonal cheer.”

Naoto looks down at the card in his hand, an inoffensive festive greeting showing a village blanketed in white snow.

“Happy Christmas.”


	12. Ninomiya Kazunari - Arashi

Ninomiya Kazunari can't remember whose idea it was to have a Secret Santa event for Arashi – possibly Matsumoto Jun's, or one of the staff members wanting to come up with something new to please the fans – but he really wished they hadn't thought of it in the first place. Buying presents is enough of a chore as it is without having a limited amount of time to do it for somebody at random. Not that he wouldn't have known the recipient, of course – the five band members have worked together for long enough now that they're more than familiar with each others' likes and dislikes, their personal tastes and their hobbies. It's more the added effort of having yet another task to complete in an already-hectic run-up to Christmas, what with their tour schedule and filming so many TV shows and dramas.

Still, it hadn't been so bad when he'd drawn the name of the person he'd be buying for. He could probably manage to find something they wanted in a short space of time with a minimum amount of hassle. And now that the day has arrived when the band members are going to open and exchange their presents, Nino is confident that he has made the right choice. He's smiling as he walks into the studio where the exchange of presents is going to take place; he had his gift-wrapped in the shop where he bought it, which will hopefully help to disguise the fact that it's from him. 

“So, who did you get?” Ohno Satoshi is the first to speak to him, having already left his present with the others.

“As if I'm going to tell you that!” Nino rolls his eyes, but laughs. “It wouldn't be a secret then, would it?”

“Worth a try,” Ohno shrugs as they join the others. 

Sakurai Sho, Matsumoto Jun and Aiba Masaki are already there with the TV crew waiting for the cameras to roll, and after a short stint with a make-up artist they begin filming the band's reactions to their surprise presents. Jun is the first to open his - it's a handmade ceramic pot, presumably for one of his bonsai trees, and whilst nobody admits to making it, they suspect Ohno. Sho is next, unwrapping a travel pillow which has been custom-printed with the other members' faces. He laughs, suspecting Jun, although Aiba is the one working the hardest to suppress a smirk. Ohno goes next, revealing a remote-controlled toy fishing boat... and inside the wheelhouse is a tiny to-scale model of himself. He looks at Nino, who does his best to look innocent. Aiba then takes his turn, showing that he's received a little stuffed turtle in a baseball hat. It's unusual, but he seems delighted with it. And then the attention turns to Nino, who makes a show of picking up the present with his name on it and examining it carefully as if imagining what it might be.

He taunts the others - and the audience - by taking his time over it, hoping that it isn't a piece of exercise equipment, commenting that he wouldn't mind if it were a t-shirt since some of his favourite older ones are almost worn through; then he starts to open it and reveal what is actually inside, his face showing genuine pleasure as he triumphantly holds up a customised headset designed for computer gaming, Arashi's logo printed on the side, and a controller to match.

It's exactly what he would have wanted. Hardly surprising, seeing as when it came to picking a name at random, he kept very quiet about it when he drew his own.


	13. Aiba Masaki - Mikeneko Holmes No Suiri

"I don't know what you see in that cat, anyway." Ishizu Ryohei casts a disparaging glance towards the cat Holmes, who currently has her large and furry backside firmly planted on her favourite cushion. It's the festive season in the Katayama household, and Ishizu is gathered in the lounge along with the two Katayama siblings - Yoshitaro and Hiroshi - as well as, of course, Yoshitaro's portly calico cat, Holmes. They're due to go to the Christmas meal soon with their work colleagues, and Ishizu has turned up at their house early. "She just sits there all day eating your food, and she isn't even that friendly."

"Don't speak that way about Holmes!" Yoshitaro immediately jumps to the cat's defence, smoothing Holmes' head and covering her ears as if she might hear what Ishizu is saying and take offence to it - which he knows, of course, to actually be the case. "She's more helpful than you could know!"

"Yoshitaro loves Holmes," interjects Hiroshi, sticking up for her brother despite how she may feel towards Ishizu. "She stops him being so lonely, and besides... she is kind of cute."

"If it's companionship he wants, he should just get a girlfriend, like _I'm_ going to." Ishizu sniffs haughtily and turns his attention towards Hiroshi. "That's enough about the cat. Don't you think the tree looks good?"

The three of them turn their attention towards the large Christmas tree standing in the corner of the room, which has been beautifully decorated with hanging ornaments, and bedecked with tinsel and fairy lights. Ishizu insisted on paying for it this year in a less-than-subtle attempt to impress Hiroshi, and it seems mostly to have worked. There had been some initial concern that Holmes would find the sparkly lights and shiny baubles a distraction, but Yoshitaro had been right when he'd pointed out she was no longer a sprightly young kitten and wouldn't cause any trouble trying to climb the thing.

"I suppose it's a nice one." Yoshitaro manages a smile, taking a moment to appreciate the effort which Ishizu has gone to... but then he glances at his watch, and his expression changes to one of panic. "Ah, look at the time! We should have left ten minutes ago!"

He scrambles to his feet and grabs his coat, Ishizu and Hiroshi following suit, and the three of them head towards the front door to leave-

_CRASH!_

There is suddenly an almighty bang which causes all three of them to stop and look at each other before rushing back into the lounge, where they see Ishizu's beloved tree lying on the floor surrounded by the wreckage of its decorations; shards of bauble lie tangled within broken strands of tinsel, and as for the tree itself, it seems to have literally been snapped in two as though a great weight has been placed upon it. Ishizu's gaze turns immediately towards Holmes... who remains sitting on her cushion, just staring at him impassionately. There's no possible way a cat could have knocked over a tree like that. 

"...Holmes!"


	14. Sakurai Sho - Arashi

Sakurai Sho's face is a mask of determination as he adds the finishing touches to the tree, biting his lip and furrowing his brow in furious concentration; he has to steady his hand in order to place the gold star at the top, finally releasing the breath he hasn't even realised he's been holding. He may not be the most talented member of the group when it comes to certain creative talents - his attempts at drawing are memorable for all the wrong reasons - but he's tried his very hardest this year to decorate the tree as best he can, wanting to impress Matsumoto Jun with his work. Jun's ability to put together a concert plan from his initial artistic visions right through to the actual performance is more than admirable, and Sho feels the need to prove to his lover that he, too, can create something beautiful. With his careful placement of the delicate ornaments on the tree's branches, and his painstakingly fiddly arrangement of the shimmering strands of tinsel, he is convinced that Jun will be happy with his work; and it just so happens that at the moment Sho steps back to admire his efforts, Jun himself steps through the door.

“It's done!” Sho announces proudly, folding his arms across his chest in triumph and turning to smile at his partner. He's clearly pleased with what he has managed to achieve, and he doesn't even try to hide the fact that he is seeking praise and approval. “It took me a while, but it's done!”

“Finally!” Jun rolls his eyes, more than used to dealing with Sho's ego by now. In all honesty, it's one of the reasons why he found himself attracted to the man in the first place. “And it only took you two hours. That's pretty impressive, seeing as it's not even a foot tall.”

Sho pouts, but he has to admit that Jun has a point. Perhaps decorating one of his bonsai trees for Christmas wasn't such a good idea after all.


	15. Ohno Satoshi - Kagi No Kakatta Heya

"And you're sure the killer used this route to flee the scene?" Aoto Junko asks her boss, who is pointing towards the locked door in front of them. They're in a shopping mall, investigating how a murder suspect could possibly have killed one of the customers in a clothing store, then escaped undetected from the scene of his supposed crime. "But he isn't a member of staff. There's no way he could have got through that door without a key."

"Couldn't he?" Serizawa Gou replies, glancing back at their mysterious companion, Enomoto Kei. If anyone will be able to assess the difficulty or the accessibility of a locked door, it will be this man. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Enomoto, as stony-faced as ever, steps forward and begins to investigate the door in his usual fashion; he's quiet as a mouse, silently touching and poking at the walls, using his fingers as well as his keen eyes to try and work out how somebody could have passed through here. Not satisfied with a merely visual inspection, he pulls out a small tool and starts to fiddle with the lock itself, perhaps attempting to see whether a universal key could be used instead of one cut specifically for this door alone. In less than a minute he has succeeded in defeating the lock, and the door swings open to reveal...

...a shocked gathering of parents, children, a few elves, and even Father Christmas himself, who all stare at the three newcomers in confusion. The staff and guests at Santa's Grotto certainly weren't expecting _this_ kind of surprise.

"Serizawa-sensei..." Aoto rolls her eyes, and raises a hand to her face in exasperation. "You could at least have checked where this door led _before_ you asked Enomoto to open it..."


	16. Matsumoto Jun - Gokusen

It's snowing on Shirokin High.

It's also snowing on Sawada Shin, although he doesn't seem to care. Standing in the schoolyard he manages to maintain his facade of cold indifference, even when his companions start to complain about the temperature and stamp their feet in an attempt to stay warm. He ignores their discomfort, just as he ignores the delighted cries of the other students who are playing in the snow, throwing it at each other and starting to build snowmen. He smiles despite himself, remembering a time when his little sister Natsumi would beg him to help her make a snow-cat, and he'd find sticks for the whiskers and pebbles for the eyes...

"Sawada!" 

With only a few seconds of warning, there's no way he can avoid the surprise attack; his cheek suddenly flares icy-cold as the snowball smacks against his face, and he turns to glare at whoever would dare to throw one at him. His reputation amongst the pupils - not to mention the teachers - is a fierce one, and he cannot allow such a slight to go unpunished.

"Sawada!" A feminine laugh as Sawada scans the other occupants of the school, looking for the culprit, but his expression softens as he realises who it is. His teacher, Yankumi. Only she would have the balls - no pun intended - to get his attention like this. "Come over here, Sawada! There are some cards for you."

Cards? Who on earth would send cards to him at school, for goodness' sake? Shrugging, he wipes the remaining flecks of ice from his cheek and walks towards Yamaguchi-sensei, noticing that she has a couple of envelopes in her hand. She holds them out when he approaches.

"They arrived this morning," she explains, "While you were in class. Here."

He glances at the envelopes to see if he recognises the writing on any of them - and he does. The first one, his father's unmistakable bold script; the second one, something from his sister; and the third... he's seen that writing enough times on the blackboard at the front of the classroom. He looks up at Yamaguchi-sensei strangely.

"Yes, it's from me." Her cheeks flush slightly. "Save that one for when you get home..."


	17. Ninomiya Kazunari - Yamada Taro Monogatari

“But we learned about Father Christmas in school! Of _course_ he's going to come!” 

It's Christmas Eve in the Yamada household and Yamada Itsuko is proudly telling her older brother Taro all about the things she learned in school last term, including the different ways in which Christmas is celebrated around the world. She seems particularly taken with the idea of Father Christmas, an old man with a white beard who brings presents to good children, and she is doing her best to explain this to Taro – along with why they need to make some important changes to the house, and quickly.

“But we don't even have a proper chimney, and that's why you need to build one! Because he can't come into the house and deliver our presents if we don't have a chimney he can climb down...”

“Itsuko-chan... I'm sure he knows how to use a door.” 

Taro attempts to placate his little sister with kind words and a gentle pat on the head. He doesn't have the heart to tell her that Father Christmas isn't real. In fact, he can remember learning about Hotei-osho when he was younger, the kind old man who rewards good children, and trying to catch a glimpse of him delivering his presents; and then had come the year when he had seen his mother sneaking his gift into the house, and he had realised that perhaps Hotei-osho wasn't really the one bringing them after all. He doesn't want to be the one to bring that crushing disappoinment to his younger siblings.

It's not that the children don't have presents waiting to be opened, however. Taro and his mother have made sure that every single one of his little brothers and sisters will have _something_ special tomorrow. The time he spent in his woodworking class in school was used on making a toy car for his youngest brother, and in his art lessons he managed to sculpt a recognisable version of Itsuko's favourite comic book character out of clay. But it won't be Father Christmas who will be delivering them, because the man just doesn't exist.

“It's time to go to sleep now, Itsuko.” 

Taro smiles, and sets about helping his mother in putting the children to bed. Once they are sleeping he will join her in quietly placing the presents by their pillows to find when they wake up; they've already been wrapped in newspaper, with little bows crafted out of strips of old clothing. He knows they will absolutely love them. Unfortunately their father isn't able to join them this year, since he's been offered a free trip to America in order to pursue his artistic career there for a while; he'll be missed, but Taro knows he will be having the time of his life, and when he comes home he'll have a wealth of stories to tell. It's just a shame he won't be there to see his children's faces on Christmas Day.

=========================

His brothers, sisters and his mother now settled down to sleep, Taro heads up onto the roof to sit and think. He wishes there really was such a person as Father Christmas, a man who would bring children hope and happiness to children, regardless of the cost; the Yamadas are a generally happy family, not needing wealth in order to find contentment, but even so he can't help but wish he had at least a _little_ more money in order to treat his siblings every once in a while. He allows his thoughts to drift towards his classmate Mimura Takuya, and he can't help but wonder just how the other boy is spending his evening. Does he exchange gifts with his family, too? They can probably afford far more than handmade toys and clothing, and six pieces of chicken for their Christmas dinner... they can probably afford a proper roast chicken with all the trimmings... 

"Ah, now I'm hungry!"

Mouth watering, Taro sighs and heads back inside to go to bed himself - although when he steps into the room, he does a double-take. His bedroll is already laid out, but he doesn't remember doing it before he went outside. Not only that, but there's a present waiting for him by his pillow, too. His mother must have pretended to be asleep, then left it there for him... but no, his brothers and sisters all have an extra present by _their_ pillows as well. Surely she would have told him about that? It couldn't be... no, he isn't a child any more. There's no possible way Father Christmas could be real. There's no possible way Hotei-osho was _actually_ here. But if that's the case, then why _are_ these presents waiting for them?

=========================

Mimura Takuya does his best to suppress his laughter as he sneaks quietly away from the Yamada house. He can afford to have just about anything in the world that he wants, but the one thing his money can't buy is Taro's smile. _That's_ something he has to work for by himself, and just imagining the look on the boy's face in the morning makes all of his efforts worthwhile.


	18. Sakurai Sho - Taishi Kakka No Ryourinin

"Osawa! The man on Table 14 says he wants to talk to you!"

"Me?" Sous-chef Ko Osawa turns to look at his boss with a look of surprise and concern. "Why me?"

"It was _your_ idea to add the traditional Christmas pudding to the December menu, wasn't it? He says he found something metal when he bit into a piece."

Osawa nods at first - it _had_ been his idea to add the Western-style dessert to the restaurant's seasonal menu - but then he frowns and pulls a face, the exasperation which he feels showing very clearly. Not only had he been responsible for coming up with the recipe, he had also been responsible for including the tradition of hiding a sixpence piece somewhere inside every pudding which was cooked, the saying being that whoever found the sixpence would be granted good luck throughout the coming year. But why should the customer want to talk to him about it? There is an obvious disclaimer printed on the menu explaining there will be a chance of finding the sixpence. Surely the man can't be complaining, seeing as he should have known this when he ordered.

"Fine, I'll go and speak to him." Osawa sighs, quickly wipes his hands on a nearby cloth, and heads out into the restaurant itself to find out what the fuss is about.

It's not only the man's dissatisfaction that Osawa is worried about. This was supposed to be a big chance for him as a chef, the opportunity to prove that he can visualise and initiate grand ideas when it comes to food, unique dishes which will keep diners returning to the restaurant again and again, and perhaps bring new customers along with them at the same time. This establishment has a reputation for good, reliable food, and Osawa wants to build on that. If this man puts in a complaint about him, he can kiss goodbye to his future career as a chef.

"You're the one who cooked this?" As Osawa approaches the table, the man calls out the question to him; he's an older gentleman, maybe in his seventies. "Good. Take a seat."

"I... er... thank you, Grandfather." He uses the term as one of respect, slightly taken off-guard at being asked to sit down in his own restaurant, but he does as the man says, out of politeness as well as curiosity. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It's this pudding." The old man gesticulates at his dish with the spoon, and Osawa can't help but note that the bowl is perfectly clean. Whatever issue this man has, at least the flavour didn't seem to cause any trouble. "I found a coin in it. A foreign coin."

"Ah, yes..." Osawa can feel himself getting nervous, starting to sweat. "Well, you see, it does state clearly on the menu that there might be a-"

"No, no, I want to thank you." The man smiles, slowly picking up the small coin in front of him - the sixpence, which still has crumbs of pudding clinging to it - and holds it out for Osawa to see. "I've not come across one like it since my wife died."

"Your wife...?"

"Yes, my wife. She had family in England, and sometimes we would go and visit them for Christmas, you see. And they would do the exact same thing, make us one of these puddings with a coin hidden somewhere inside it." His smile grows wider and he laughs softly to himself, as if taking comfort in an old memory - which he is. "We couldn't afford to travel every year though, of course. And when my wife grew ill..."

He manages to keep his composure, although his voice wavers slightly; Osawa remains respectfully quiet, waiting for the man to continue his story.

"...when she grew ill, we couldn't travel at all, and we never did have any more puddings. But every year... every year, on Christmas Eve... she would always give me a sixpence and wish me luck for the year to come, even if we couldn't have one of these puddings ourselves. And of course, after she died, well... nobody's given me one of these coins since. Until now."

He reaches out his hand and gently pats Osawa's own, the sixpence appearing to shine brightly despite a smearing of orange peel and raisin.

"It's as though wherever she is now, she is still wishing me luck for the year to come. And I'm sure she wishes you good luck, too."


	19. Matsumoto Jun - Arashi

As he does before every singing warm-up Matsumoto Jun takes a deep breath and allows himself a couple of yawns to stretch his throat and open up his airways, running through the basic breathing exercises which he has been taught over the years; he stretches his body too, working the kinks out of his limbs, swinging his arms and loosening up his muscles so he can sing more easily. That done he begins to hum and make simple sounds, his mouth shaping the words carefully as the memories of his favourite songs find their way to his lips where they escape as quietly-murmured refrains. They're going to be filming a Christmas special today and he wants to make sure he is in the best shape for it, his voice as well as his body, knowing how many people will be watching them not only in Japan but possible elsewhere in the world too.

Satisfied that his vocal chords are now ready he begins to recite his way up and down the scales a few times, his voice becoming louder and echoing around the small room in which he is practising. He begins to sing, calling to mind the lyrics of one of his favourite tunes, humming the verses but reciting the chorus loudly and clearly; he would begin to dance too, but there is not enough room in here to allow for it. When he reaches the crescendo he does not hold back, raising his voice in volume and reaching his arms above his head as the water sprays down upon him, working up a lather with the soap-

“Jun!” 

The sound of Sakurai Sho's voice breaks into his thoughts, and there's a loud, impatient banging on the door. 

“Jun, how much longer are you going to take in the shower? You've been in there for ages!”


	20. Aiba Masaki - My Girl

Kazama Masamune had never imagined that Christmas shopping would be so arduous. He'd expected it to be much more difficult with a child in tow - he's already allowed for it taking longer than usual, allowing for comfort breaks and that his daughter Koharu won't be able to walk as much as he can - but what makes it the hardest for him is the fact she keeps talking about Yoko. 

"Mama would love this!" She holds up another toy, grinning at her father, her face the spitting image of the woman he loved. "Do you like it too?"

"It's very cute." 

And he can't help but smile back, although there is a pang of sadness every time Koharu mentions her mother. What would Yoko be doing if she were here now? Would she be laughing along with Koharu, picking out presents with her? Would the three of them be sitting together in a coffee shop having a drink and a well-earned break from their shopping? Maybe Yoko would make a pretense of sneaking off with Koharu to secretly pick out a present for him, knowing full well that Kazama would be aware of where they had gone. It's not the kind of life Masamune would ever have imagined choosing for himself, but the more he thinks about it... 

"What about this one?" Koharu picks out a teddy bear with a huge smile. "It looks like you. Maybe we should get this one for her."

"Koharu..." Masamune sighs and crouches down so he's on the same level as his daughter. "We can get it, but..."

He leaves the rest unspoken, because it doesn't need to be said. Yes, he thinks Yoko _would_ like the toy, but there is no way she will ever be able to touch it or hold it, at least not in this world. Even so, it seems like it would be a shame for Koharu not to be able to buy something for her mother, even though she would really be keeping it for herself; but Masamune realises that what matters the most is not whether Yoko would be the one actually receiving it. No, what matters is that Koharu will be able to have something to keep close to herself and be reminded of her mother, that Yoko's memory will never be forgotten. And if Masamune himself gets to spend time holding both his daughter and her beloved toy close, well...

"We can get it."

Masamune stands up again and takes Koharu gently by the arm, her own little hands still clutching tightly at the bear she has chosen as they head towards the till.


	21. Sakurai Sho - Kazoku Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((Sorry for the delay on posting today's instalment - I had a very early start and I've been busy doing actual Real Life things for Christmas, so I'm only getting around to updating now! ^^; ))

Nobody invited Yoshimoto Kouya for Christmas. Nobody invited him but he's turned up anyway, strolling nonchalantly back into the Numata household as if he's never been away, marching into the kitchen where the family are eating their Christmas dinner and loudly announcing his presence before they can even process what's happening.

“Merry Christmas!” His arms stretch out almost as widely as his smile, and he shrugs the bag from his shoulders before pulling out a seat and taking a place at the table. “What are we eating? Did Ma'am put in her order for fried chicken?”

“Ah... no... we've gone for a more traditional dinner this time.” The father, Kazushige, is the first to speak; Kayoko and Shigeyuki remain in a stunned silence. Shinichi is nowhere to be seen. “Roast turkey with parsnips and potatoes, steamed vegetables and sausages wrapped in bacon..."

"What? No fried chicken?" Kouya hisses and makes a face. "But I was looking _forward_ to that!"

"You can have my parsnips if you want, Sensei!" Shigeyuki grins as he holds his plate out towards the tutor, earning himself a disapproving look from his mother.

"Sensei..." Kayoko reaches out and firmly but gently steers Shigeyuki's arm away from Kouya. "If you'd like to join us, please, take Shinichi's seat. I was hoping he'd be home for Christmas dinner, but..."

She makes a face, evidently more troubled than she lets herself show. Kazushige and Shigeyuki may not have picked up on it, but to Kouya, her distress and disappointment are as easy to read as if they had been posted onto a billboard above her head.

"Is that so?" The tutor's expression hardens, and he makes an exasperated sound as he pushes his chair back and gets to his feet. "I was hoping he would know better by now than to act like this, but... if that's the case, then I'd better go and get him."

=========================

Kouya finds him, of course. Shinichi has taken refuge in one of his favourite places, the observational platform on the hill near his house, and he sits on one of the benches there, sullenly glaring out across the city. He turns to glare at Kouya instead as he hears his tutor approaching, his eyes narrowing further when he realises exactly who has discovered where he is.

"Sensei." Shinichi sneers the title, clearly less than happy to see the man. 

"Shinichi-kun!" Kouya remains jovial as ever, striding over to the bench and sitting himself down beside the boy as if they were the best of friends. "It's a lovely view, no? And it's even better on a crisp, clear day like this one."

"I suppose they sent you here to fetch me back." 

"Your parents?" The older man laughs, genuinely amused by Shinichi's comment. "They wouldn't even think of it. When was the last time they disciplined you? Even when your mother knew about your shoplifting, she barely even breathed a word."

He leans in closer, in that infuriating, conspiratorial way which means he's far closer to the truth than Shinichi would like to think.

"Or is that exactly _why_ you're out here on your own today? On a day which is supposed to be for families? You're trying to see exactly how far you can push, how far you have to go before they really snap. You _want_ them to be stricter with you. You _want_ them to be angry, to raise their voices and shout at you, because even that would be better than having to face the silence of their disappointment."

"You don't know _anything."_ Shinichi's expression contorts into a snarl. "You think you know about my family, about how they treat me. You think you know exactly how to use me, to make me do whatever you want by saying the right thing, that by goading me into doing one thing I'll do the opposite. You think you can train me to be some kind of pet for you - some kind of performing animal, doing tricks for your entertainment! But I'm _not._ I'm an adult now, and I won't do what you want me to do any more. You can't _make_ me."

"I know that you start to babble when you get nervous." Kouya smirks and pulls back, folding his arms triumphantly across his chest. If it weren't for the spike of defiance at the end of Shinichi's outburst, he might almost have sounded mature. "Well, I'll have to admit that you're right about one thing; you are a grown adult, and I really can't force you to do anything that you don't want to do..."

The older man sighs theatrically, cocking his head to one side and staring thoughtfully up at the sky.

"...but I don't know how to make you do what you _do_ want to do, either."

"What do you mean by that?" Shinichi remains angry, defensive.

"You don't really _want_ to be out here on your own." His tutor doesn't turn to look at him, instead continuing to gaze off into the distance. "It's cold. It's lonely. You're only doing it to make a point and to spite yourself. You might think your parents are stupid, but cutting off your nose to spite your face - who's the real idiot here?"

The boy gives an indignant snort and scowls, but what can he say? Kouya is right, of course. He's _always_ right, and that's one of the reasons why he's so damned _annoying._

"Fine. I'll go home." Although he seems reluctant to do so at first, Shinichi gets to his feet. "But only because I _want_ to, not because you told me to. Is that clear?"

"Clear as day." Kouya gives a mock salute. "Run along, Shinichi-kun! I'll be back soon."

Shinichi bristles at Kouya's tone but he does as the man says, already heading back in the direction of his home; Kouya remains sitting on the bench, watching the boy until he disappears around the corner, and then he smiles. It's a broad, wicked smile, not the warm smile of a man who feels as though he's just done the Right Thing. No, it's the cruel smile of a man who has just maneuvered his game pieces into exactly the right place on the board... because after all, what is Christmas without having a full set of toys to play with?

_"Good..."_


	22. Aiba Masaki, Ohno Satoshi, Matsumoto Jun - Kirin Mets Men CM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((Okay, I know I'm cheating with this one as it's an advert, not a drama, sorry! ^^; Still, I like the adverts so much that I really want to write stories in this setting anyway, seeing as I'm also a big fan of the Fallout games.))

"So where the hell _are_ we going to find a Christmas tree, anyway?" Ohno Satoshi sighs, flexing the joints of his robotic arm. "Last year we barely even managed to scrape up a twig."

The three men exchange gloomy looks with each other as they try to come up with a plan. Trees aren't exactly easy to come by in the desert wasteland of New City, but for some reason they want to find one this year, even though doing so will prove horrendously difficult - or perhaps the reason they want one is _because_ it will be so difficult. They already have a reputation for achieving the impossible.

"Wait here - I have an idea." Matsumoto Jun grins and disappears out the door of the shack they're currently calling home.

"Oh, great... last time he had an _idea_ we were washing tar out of our hair for days," Satoshi mutters.

"Yeah, but at least he got us out safely." Masaki Aiba stands at a makeshift workbench tinkering with one of his creations. "And besides, it could have been a _lot_ worse. At least it was only the hair on our heads we had to worry about, not like..."

He jerks his head to one side, indicating a large mass of white fur in the corner.

"...I think he's still got some clumps of it now. But he doesn't like to talk about it."

"Ta-daaaa!" The door bursts open, Jun's silhouette outlined in the doorway, _something_ in his hands. "Problem solved! We may not have a tree, but we _do_ have...."

He walks inside, a potted plant in his hands; it's a prickly succulent, small scraps of foil hanging from its spikes, a sad-looking star shoved onto the top.

"...a Christmas cactus!"


	23. Aiba Masaki - Miracle: Devil Claus' Love and Magic

"It's been almost a whole year now, Hikari! Don't you think it's about time you did a little more?"

"Devil Claus!" Hikari almost drops the pile of books he's been stacking. It has indeed been a year since he first confessed his feelings to Anna - and it's also been a year since he last saw the tiny demon who changed his life. Devil Claus had vanished after goading him into getting together with the woman he hadn't even realised that he loved. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again, not after what you did for me..."

"Neither did I, but it looks like we were both wrong." The little devil scowls at Hikari from his position on top of the bookshelf. "You've won your woman, that's for sure. But now you have to make sure that you _keep_ her."

"She isn't a possession!"

"Semantics." Devil Claus waves away Hikari's protest with a tiny claw. "Anyway, we've got some work to do..."

=========================

Hikari doesn't clearly remember what happens next. He finishes work, he knows that much, and at some point he must have visited a shop and bought some Christmas decorations, because why else would the apartment he shares with Anna now be decked out with baubles and tinsel? Devil Claus' doing, he presumes, and just as he begins to wonder _why_ the creature would do such a thing, there's the tell-tale sound of the key turning in the lock, Anna's footsteps as she steps through the door, and Hikari turns to face her with a somewhat flustered expression.

"Anna-chan..."

"Hikari." She smiles, eyes widening in surprise at the Christmas decorations. "This is... this is _wonderful_ , but why..."

"Because, ah..." Hikari's voice trails off, but it's in that moment that he realises exactly _why_ Devil Claus has reappeared in his life. The little demon is right; Hikari _does_ need to take steps to further his relationship with Anna, and the Christmas decorations are not only a way by which he will soften Anna's resolve, but they bolster his as well as Devil Claus' determination in the process. "Because... because I think it's time we started to make a real commitment to each other."

Anna raises an eyebrow, intrigued, as Hikari continues.

"I, um, that is we... I... Anna, would you do me the honour of... that is..." Hikari blushes, but he is sure he can see Devil Claus out of the corner of his eye giving him the thumbs up. "...Anna... I think it's time that you and I... _can we get a cat?"_


	24. Sakurai Sho - The Quiz Show 2

MC Kamiyama cannot remember Christmas.

At least, he cannot remember celebrating it since becoming an adult. He has vague recollections of celebrating the holiday during his childhood, scattered memories which vanish like so much smoke when he tries to hold onto them, but he cannot say how many years have passed since the events occurred. He can picture a boy and a girl the same age as he is, the three of them laughing together as they wander around a city looking at the Christmas lights, but their faces are indistinct, their names lost; he recalls sitting beside a tree with that same boy, opening a carefully-wrapped present, a small box tied with a red and black ribbon. There is a feeling of joy when he thinks of this, although exactly what the gift was, he cannot say.

==========================

Honma Toshio has not celebrated Christmas for the past eight years. What would be the point? It's a time for partners and for families, and he has neither. That's why he has pushed for a dress rehearsal in the studio on Christmas Eve despite many of the crew protesting that they would rather be spending the day with their loved ones, but to Honma, this doesn't matter. His work is his life now. His work, and Kamiyama.

The rehearsal has gone on far longer than expected, and it's a tired and irritable crew who break up for the evening muttering their dissatisfaction at Honma's schedule. That's probably why Takasugi Reina isn't paying much attention to where she's going, accidentally bumping into Honma on the studio floor where he has come down to personally inspect how things are progressing and to check up on Kamiyama himself. Honma hisses as she bangs into him, and seems to drop something on the floor, something which he has been toying with in his fingers.

“A-ah! Honma-san!” Takasugi gasps and bows in apology before hurriedly scurrying off, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as Honma glares after her.

 _“So_ annoying.”

He bends down to pick up the object which he dropped – a golden coin with a poppy engraved on its surface – reaching out with his slender fingers to take it, and...

...his hands meet Kamiyama's.

Kamiyama, too, has crouched down to retrieve it. It seems familiar, that coin, although he can't quite think why. There is some significance attached to the poppy image too, although its meaning has vanished along with the memory of where he first saw it; but the fact that Honma was the one holding it – Honma, the man who claims to know about his past, the one who tells him to trust him – the two must be connected somehow.

“Kamiyama...” 

Honma's eyes widen when he sees the other man staring at the coin, and Kamiyama can't help but feel he is being tested somehow; tested and watched, as if Honma is waiting for him to react in a certain way. A few moments of awkward silence pass, and then Honma takes the coin within his hand, his expression softening somehow when he sees that Kamiyama is not going to break down in front of him.

_He doesn't remember. He doesn't remember the coin. He doesn't remember what it means. But I do._

“Kamiyama....” He says the man's name again, this time with a little more warmth. “Take it.”

“Huh...?”

“The coin, Kamiyama. _Take_ it.” He indicates for the other man to hold out his hand.

“Oh... okay...” Calmly, submissively, Kamiyama does as Honma says, and he presses the coin into his hand, closing his fingers around it; when he opens it, the image of the poppy sits within his palm.

“Do you remember Christmas Eve?” Honma asks, again watching Kamiyama for any reaction.

_Christmas Eve. It's the day when lovers are supposed to exchange gifts with each other as tokens of their affection, just like we did eight years ago..._

“No.” Kamiyama shakes his head, his brow furrowing as he tries to retrieve the memories but his mind draws a blank. “Should I?”

“It doesn't matter.” It was on this day eight years ago that Honma gave Kamiyama the very same coin, gift-wrapped in a small box tied with a red and black ribbon, the poppy image showing when he opened the box. The poppy image which represented for them an admission of affection, an acknowledgement of feelings far deeper than friendship. _It matters._ “Just take it. You may as well keep it.”

“Thank you, Honma-san.” It's the first gift Kamiyama can remember Honma ever giving him. He smiles.


	25. Arashi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((And we're done! ^___^ Thank you everyone for reading - hope you all had a good Christmas!))

It's a strange request, but Aiba Masaki does his best to fulfil it anyway. Having fed Tororu, the dog he is looking after over Christmas, he heads to the studio where the rest of the band is already waiting, picking up a little something along the way; he's not sure _why_ their manager has asked him to bring it along today, but a request is a request and if any of them would be the one to arrange it, it makes sense that it would be him. Perhaps they will be filming some new kind of entertainment segment which the others don't know about yet.

“Masaki!” 

His band-mates greet him warmly when he arrives; Satoshi is wearing a fish-hook around his neck like a pendant for some reason, and there's a small evergreen tree in the dressing room – one of Jun's bonsai trees, Aiba presumes – which looks like a child has made some kind of effort to decorate with tiny baubles.

“Masaki!” Sho seems more pleased than usual to see him, glancing at the box he's carrying with a great amount of interest. “Did you bring the food?”

“Food...?” Aiba suddenly becomes confused. “Nobody asked me to bring any food...”

"What's in the box, then?" Sho crouches down and taps it gently. It clucks.

"The manager asked me to bring a chicken..."

" _Fried_ chicken, Aiba! It's Christmas!"

When Sho puts it that way, it does make a lot more sense.


End file.
